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Bill Cobbs

Bill Cobbs

American actor (1934–2024)

2 min read
Reviewed by GlyphSignal·Updated 2026-07-19·Methodology·Disclosure·Source·Contact

Why this is trending

Interest in “Bill Cobbs” spiked on Wikipedia on 2026-07-19.

Categorised under Entertainment, this article fits a familiar pattern. Articles in the entertainment category often trend when tied to award ceremonies, film releases, celebrity news, or viral social media moments.

At GlyphSignal we surface these trending signals every day—transforming Wikipedia’s vast pageview data into actionable insights about global curiosity.

2026-06-20Peak: 1,1802026-07-19
30-day total: 23,894

Key Takeaways

  • Wilbert Francisco Cobbs (June 16, 1934 – June 25, 2024) was an American actor, known for such film roles as Louisiana Slim in The Hitter (1979), Walter in The Brother from Another Planet (1984), Reginald in Night at the Museum (2006) and Master Tinker on Oz the Great and Powerful (2013).
  • In 2012, he had a reoccurring role as George in the sitcom, Go On .
  • Early life Cobbs was born on June 16, 1934, in Cleveland, Ohio, to a mother, Vera, who was a domestic worker and a father, David, who worked in construction.
  • He was the second cousin of Song of the South actor James Baskett.
  • Air Force as a radar technician for eight years; he also worked in office products at IBM and sold cars in Cleveland, Ohio.

Source note: This page combines GlyphSignal analysis with attributed reference material from Wikipedia. GlyphSignal adds trend context, traffic history, categorization, and editorial interpretation. See how we build these pages.

Source summary

Wikipedia

Wilbert Francisco Cobbs (June 16, 1934 – June 25, 2024) was an American actor, known for such film roles as Louisiana Slim in The Hitter (1979), Walter in The Brother from Another Planet (1984), Reginald in Night at the Museum (2006) and Master Tinker on Oz the Great and Powerful (2013). He also played Lewis Coleman on I'll Fly Away (1991–1993), Jack on The Michael Richards Show (2000), and had guest appearances on Walker, Texas Ranger and The Sopranos. In 2012, he had a reoccurring role as George in the sitcom, Go On. In 2020, he won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Limited Performance in a Daytime Program for the series Dino Dana.

Cobbs was born on June 16, 1934, in Cleveland, Ohio, to a mother, Vera, who was a domestic worker and a father, David, who worked in construction. He had a brother named Thomas Cobbs. He was the second cousin of Song of the South actor James Baskett.

Cobbs served in the U.S. Air Force as a radar technician for eight years; he also worked in office products at IBM and sold cars in Cleveland, Ohio. In 1970, at the age of 36, he left for New York to seek work as an actor. He supported himself by driving a cab, repairing office equipment, selling toys, and performing odd jobs.

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Content sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0

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